Thousands of kidney patients in Israel have received a new lease on life thanks to altruistic donors who donate kidneys through Matnat Chaim – a non-profit that has transformed the field of kidney donation in Israel.
Matnat Chaim was founded in 2009 by Rabbi Yeshayahu Heber z”l, after he himself faced kidney disease and was saved thanks to a kidney donated to him by a friend. That experience led him, together with his wife Rachel Heber, to establish an organization to help find altruistic kidney donors and save lives.
After the Rabbi’s tragic passing in 2020, Rachel Heber continued his path and took on the role of president of the organization. For her work at Matnat Chaim she was awarded the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 2023.
Our goal is to raise awareness and encourage altruistic kidney donation – a donation given out of the desire to save a life, with nothing in return. Along with promoting altruistic donations, Matnat Chaim also works to encourage and mentor transplants within families, helping patients explore the option of a family donation before looking for an altruistic donor.
Some of our methods include:
The organization’s volunteer kidney donors receive close support and personal guidance throughout the entire process – including professional advice, one-on-one mentoring and an answer to every question. In addition, hundreds of kidney donors keep volunteering after their donation, serving as ambassadors and assisting new donors.
Since its founding in 2009, Matnat Chaim has brought about a revolution in the field of kidney donation in Israel. In its first year of activity, only 4 kidney transplants from volunteer donors were performed. Since then the numbers have grown steadily, and today hundreds of transplants take place every year.
Thanks to the work of Matnat Chaim, Israel today leads the world in the number of altruistic living kidney donations relative to its population.
In 2026 the organization set a Guinness World Record of its own – the largest gathering of organ donors in history.
The work of Matnat Chaim has created a deep shift in awareness among the Israeli public and turned kidney donation from a rare act of altruism into something almost natural within the Israeli community. Since the organization’s founding, the number of living kidney donors has risen by hundreds of percent – an extraordinary achievement that can be credited directly to the organization’s tireless work and immense dedication.
We connect people, mentor kidney donors and patients, embrace them, and above all – save lives.
